TROUTVILLE, Va. – Campbellsville University's season came to an end Friday evening in another one-hit shutout loss to Shorter University, but not before the Lady Tigers posted two shut out victories to advance to loser's bracket semifinal and finish fourth at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championships.
CU started the day with an 8-0 mercy rule win over Geneva College in six innings and then held on in a 1-0 shutout of Central Baptist College in eight innings. In game three of the day, CU was unable to get past Shorter University, 7-0, falling to Hawks for the second time in the tournament.
The loss ends the Lady Tigers' season with a 43-17 record.
Shorter advances to the loser's bracket final Saturday morning against Judson University (Ill.), which beat Shorter earlier Friday, 1-0. The winner of that game will meet Union University (Tenn.) in the national title game.
GAME 1 – Campbellsville 8, Geneva 0 (6 innings)
Campbellsville University had no trouble surviving its first elimination game of the NCCAA Tournament, beating enacting the mercy rule on Geneva College, 8-0, in the sixth inning.
Emma Napier started CU's offense with a leadoff double in the first, starting a 3-for-4 morning with three runs scored and two RBIs for the senior shortstop.
Napier scored on a ground out RBI by Kristin Benton after stealing third to give CU a 1-0 lead in the first. The Lady Tigers loaded the bases in the fourth with walks from Shelby Ray, Taylor Borders and Heather Oakley, before Adrean Jordan hit a sac fly to score Ray and stretch the lead,2-0.
CU scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth to end the game early. Kacie Vincent and Napier each delivered bunt singles to start the fifth and used a double steal to score Vincent for the first run of the inning. Benton, Borders and Oakley each followed with a double, making it a 5-0 game.
Sarah Paragon hit a bloop single over the head of the first baseman to start the sixth. After a Brooke Boils walk and Vincent sac bunt, Napier doubled again, scoring Zatoria Leavell (running for Paragon) and Boils. Benton ended the game with a sac fly to center to score Napier.
Taylor Wroe picked up the win after five scoreless innings. She allowed three hits, three walks and struck out five. Courtney Turpin allowed a hit and walk in a scoreless sixth inning of relief work.
Samantha Johnson recorded the loss in 4 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs off five hits. Andrea Hinds allowed the other four runs, all earned, while retiring only three batters.
GAME 2 – Campbellsville 1, Central Baptist 0 (8 innings)
Victoria Decker crafted a five-hit, shutout win during her eight-inning effort Friday afternoon. Decker struck out nine and took advantage of nine ground balls and two fly balls to leave five CBC runners on base.
Kristin Benton led CU with a 2-for-4 game, including a game-winning, RBI double to center in the bottom of the eighth. It was the second time on the day that Benton drove in Napier for the game-ending run.
Campbellsville had chances to take the lead in regulation, but left six on base in the game, including four in scoring position.
GAME 3 – Shorter 7, Campbellsville 0
Martina Riney gave up a leadoff double and then double steal to give Shorter University a 1-0 lead in the first. With two on and only out, Riney pitched out of the first inning jam kept the Hawks from adding any more runs through the third.
Shorter added two in the fourth though on a wild throw to first by Brooke Boils, going up 3-0. It became 6-0 in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Amanda Dailey and Whitney Hood before another error plated the third run of the inning.
The Lady Tigers were held hitless through four until Sara Paragon delivered a one-out single. Kacie Vincent later drew a two-out walk, but both runners were left stranded.
Shorter capped its scoring in the sixth after Kendall Johnson led off the inning with a single and scored on a Felicia Morris sac fly. Courtney Turpin (CU's third pitcher of the game) avoided a shortened game by getting a ground ball to get out of the inning and strand one.
CU was held hitless in the final two innings. Paragon was hit by a pitch with two outs, but failed to advance, as Shorter's Maddie Bray pitched the complete game shutout with one hit, two walks and a strikeout. She hit three CU batters.
In contrast, Shorter pounded out 12 hits in the game, seven off Riney, who took the loss. Morris was 3-for-3 for Shorter, while Daily, Hood and Bray each had two hits.
